Old Photos

In 1935 Howard McMichael Sr. and his wife Jacqueline (Hawkes) founded the HOWARD McMICHAEL COMPANY on New Rochelle harbor where the municipal gas dock is now located. You can still see where the old railway was just to the East of the buildings leading up toward Sutton Manor. Besides selling gas and local service, they cleaned bottoms of racing boats and provided day provisioning for the one designs at local yacht clubs, including Larchmont Yacht Club.

The work barge, designed and built by Howard, was used to haul stone and cement to build an addition at Execution Lighthouse in the late 1930's. New Rochelle Rowing Club in the background.

The first Larchmont Yacht Club winter sailing crash boat and land crew to carry the boats to the water were provided by McMichael Company.

In 1938 Howard leased the Orienta Yacht Club property in Mamaroneck to run as a boat yard. Orienta members had preferred rates and the yard serviced many of the local one designs and several cruising boats. The fenced area is the shore side lawn of OYC.

John Nichols (left) and Hank Sheridan (right)were among the first employees in Mamaroneck. John later started his own yards and Hank became the Village Harbor Master and was responsible for the Village purchasing their first fire boat. Does anyone know the person in the middle?

The McMichael Rushmore Avenue Yard in 1945. The office at the left is still standing. The big red barn burned to the ground in the 1950's and was replaced with the smaller building used today as the shop. The yard had three railways and stored 100 wooden cruising and One Design boats for the winter. In 1945, Edna Brilleman was our first broker, as well as the first woman yacht broker in the country. Her favorite saying was, "I've got just the boat for you". She retired in the 1960's and stayed active playing tennis and sailing into her 80's.

Orienta Yacht Club rented the yard to McMichael Company in 1938.

One of the three railways at Rushmore 1945

Rushmore waterfront 1945. Note mast shearlegs or "A" frame for pulling masts. The hand winch just visible on the right hand leg is pictured below and found years later buried in the yard.

This hand crank winch was used to raise and lower the "A" frame stepping rig. A 4-part manila line block and tackle lifted the masts in and out.

Spring in the Rushmore yard around 1949. Howard McMichael, Jr following Jack Savage, the yard foreman, down the tracks.

1939-1940 Winter. Up the rails toward the Elks Club top of photo.

1939-1940 Winter. Orienta YC and East basin top.

1940-41. East Basin in front of OYC. Note the grassy knoll. At low tide there was mud flat all the way to Shore Acres. The channel came around in front of where Post Road Boat Yard is today. Derecktor's was a small inlet with undeveloped upland.

Spring 1947. Dredging the Rushmore Marina. Note the point on the right that was dug away over the years to make room for the marina.

1947 Rushmore Marina. At low tide there was no water where the open water shows. Barely visible at left is the work barge shown in one of the first photos above.

1939 Railway and skidways for storing boats. Orienta Yacht Club top right. McMichael Company office mid right and shop left of rails.